Mark Jones hopes derby will deliver and end positive week on a high

Ospreys head coach Mark Jones says there are definite positive signs for Welsh rugby as the season enters its final lap.

Jones takes his team to a packed Arms Park this evening for a huge Welsh derby showdown with Cardiff (7pm). Both sides are still in the hunt for the BKT United Rugby Championship play-offs with just three rounds of matches to go.

“It’s really good to see the Welsh teams scrapping it out at the business end of the season and it’s us and Cardiff that are doing that at the moment in the league, which I think is positive,” said Jones.

“I hope it’s a good representation of what the regions are doing.

“You can see the Dragons are in the semi-finals of Europe in the Challenge Cup, so that’s awesome as well.

“The Scarlets were in the top eight in the league last year and have picked up some tidy results and a couple of scalps this year.

“They caused us all sorts of problems in the first half hour down there. They have been showing that they have definitely got potential.”

Jones has also been encouraged this week by the Ospreys and Scarlets being offered the chance to sign a new agreement with the WRU, guaranteeing their survival until at least 2028.

“It’s positive news for Welsh rugby in general,” said the former Test winger.

“If everything is signed off, then we get some security around all areas of the agreement for another season on top of next year.

“That definitely helps around staffing, player recruitment, retention and general morale. It’s a big help for everybody. The outlook is looking a lot more positive over the next couple of seasons.”

Fixture

United Rugby Championship

Cardiff Rugby

11:00

Today

Ospreys

All Stats and Data

As for the significance of tonight’s Welsh derby, which is expected to attract a full house to the Arms Park, Cardiff lie seventh in the URC table, with the Ospreys in tenth.

“We are looking at this game as an opportunity for the group,” said Jones.

“A result here keeps us going towards the goal of qualifying for the play-offs. We need to be there on the last weekend with something to play for.

“We need to perform well because we are up against some very good opposition in our last three games.”
Jones added: “The league is so competitive.

“If you had said to me in pre-season that we would have only lost two more games than Leinster by this stage, that would normally sound like a pretty good year.

“So there is lots of positivity around it. But we are not finished yet. We have got three games left and we are still very focused on racking up as many quality performances as we can and seeing where that can get us to.”

The Ospreys are looking to do the league double over Cardiff having beaten them 33-22 at Bridgend’s Brewery Field on New Year’s Day, when scrum-half Kieran Hardy scored two of their five tries.

“What I thought we did well in that game was we focused on what we are really good at,” said Jones.

“I felt we really knuckled down on what we are and we were true to it and we executed really well. It was a big performance from us.”

Reflecting on the opposition, he said: “Cardiff have been brilliant all year, right from the get go.

“They started the season with a bang and maintained their momentum, picking up some really good results in tight games which could have gone either way, but where they have come out on the right side of them.

“They have put themselves in the driving seat with three games to go to try and stay in that top eight and get into a play-off.

“Everybody at Cardiff has done a great job, players and staff. I think everybody there should be very proud of how they have played this year.

“They are a top side who are very dangerous for 80 minutes. They go right to the end. They have been flying and are still performing really well. It’s going to be a really tough game.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

1

Draws

1

Wins

3

Average Points scored

24

25

First try wins

60%

Home team wins

40%

The Ospreys show four changes from last weekend’s win over the Sharks with Jack Walsh, Keiran Williams and Reuben Morgan-Williams coming into the backs, while Rhys Davies joins the second row.

As for Cardiff, Tom Bowen takes over on the wing from Mason Grady who fractured his thumb in last Saturday’s dramatic comeback victory over the Scarlets.

They have also made four personnel changes and one positional switch up front as they reshuffle their pack.

Javan Sebastian starts at tighthead prop after his super-sub try double against his former team down in Llanelli and Rory Thornton adds his 6ft 7ins frame to the lineout battle.

Taine Basham and Dan Thomas come into the back row as James Botham is ruled out by a HIA. That sees a move from No.8 to the blindside flank for Alun Lawrence who leads the way for both carries and tackles in the URC this season.

Providing the viewpoint from the Cardiff camp, winger Jacob Beetham said: “I think it might be one of the biggest games of the season, to be honest.

“I’m looking forward to it. It’s definitely one of the best places when there’s a packed out crowd.”